2 . “What’s the story of your piano?” a friend asked over dinner. My piano just _________ in the corner of my living room. “It has a story?” I doubted.

“All pianos have stories,” she replied. Suddenly my piano’s story came _________ out of me as if I’d always had this tale to tell.

I’ve loved _________ since childhood. I started with the recorder and moved on to the violin and guitar. Playing the piano had always been my _________ which my family couldn’t afford. I grew up in a poor immigrant family in Toronto. My father _________ tables in a restaurant and my mother worked in a laundry. Though our childhood was _________, my brothers and I were always fed with     _________. I can’t remember which birthday it was when my mother _________ some money to buy me a doll. By then I’d outgrown wanting dolls but she worked too hard to know that and I never told her. I _________ accepted it.

So it was finally with my ____________. It was in my last year of high school. I took piano lessons for about a year before university forced me to ____________. I had to make a decision: to pursue（追求） a more ____________ goal of medical school or my love for music. The realist in me ____________ and I had to give up piano lessons ____________ as with my doll it was too late to learn to play the way I wanted. I ____________ the piano around with me over the next decade until my son was born. He showed an early ____________ in music so I put him in piano lessons. I played that piano through my son although guitar ____________ became his choice.

I gradually realized that I’d let all my pleasures ____________ for my job. I figured I’d get back to playing the piano when I retire. Maybe it’s time to get that piano tuned again before it’s too late to     ____________. Maybe that’s something we should do right now.

Sometimes a ____________ question can open a path of thinking and discovery. So what’s the story of your piano?

1.

A．hides

B．sits

C．rises

D．appears

2.

A．flooding

B．jumping

C．spreading

D．breaking

3.

A．dolls

B．medicine

C．performances

D．music

4.

A．life

B．goal

C．dream

D．choice

5.

A．reserved

B．decorated

C．waited

D．made

6.

A．difficult

B．lonely

C．fantastic

D．happy

7.

A．food

B．love

C．confidence

D．hardship

8.

A．collected

B．changed

C．borrowed

D．spared

9.

A．gratefully

B．quietly

C．eagerly

D．actively

10.

A．decision

B．belief

C．piano

D．opinion

11.

A．consider

B．continue

C．refuse

D．stop

12.

A．perfect

B．practical

C．successful

D．necessary

13.

A．compromised

B．failed

C．agreed

D．won

14.

A．unless

B．till

C．because

D．before

15.

A．found

B．played

C．abandoned

D．moved

16.

A．desire

B．interest

C．ambition

D．plan

17.

A．eventually

B．gradually

C．unexpectedly

D．obviously

18.

A．fall away

B．light up

C．give out

D．show off

19.

A．experience

B．enjoy

C．learn

D．fix

20.

A．serious

B．doubtful

C．single

D．private

3 . In 2020, John Constantino began doing a study at schools across New York. He had just completed a Ph.D. in language and learning and he was analyzing children's access to ________ in rich and low—income communities.

One day, he ________ something that stopped him in his tracks. "I was at a ________ in a wealthy community, and they were ________ almost brand—new books because they didn't have ________ in the library," Constantino said. He put the books in his car and drove them to a school in an ________ community.

Shocked by the ________ he saw in public school libraries, Constantino became ________ to bridge the gap. “School libraries are not funded well, and sometimes not funded at all,” he said. “If you're a(n) ________. in an underserved community, ________ you’re left with boring, outdated, and uninteresting books.

Word spread about Constantino's work, and books began ________. Donors buy new, hardcover books. Kids ________ what they think are the most interesting books. Today, his nonprofit, Access Books, has ________ more than 1.5 million books to public— school and community libraries across New York. The group has also ________ close to 350 libraries in public schools, making sure the reading environment is relaxing and comforting.

“________ we provide high—interest books and a ________ library space, they do come and they do read. We found that in the schools that we serve, circulation doubles and triples ________ we've come. So, we know that kids come to the ________.

And the books that we give, they’re ________ to keep on the shelf because we' re giving books that kids are really ________ in. My goal is that kids can always have a friend in a book and they can always turn to a book to find comfort and to learn something.” said Constantino.

1.

A．pictures

B．phones

C．books

D．computers

2.

A．saw

B．proved

C．imagined

D．heard

3.

A．bookshop

B．hospital

C．school

D．party

4.

A．getting rid of

B．looking for

C．giving away

D．turning up

5.

A．life

B．money

C．food

D．room

6.

A．large

B．underserved

C．local

D．wonderful

7.

A．change

B．buildings

C．difference

D．rules

8.

A．surprised

B．disappointed

C．determined

D．excited

9.

A．newcomer

B．teacher

C．parent

D．child

10.

A．gradually

B．finally

C．luckily

D．usually

11.

A．coming out

B．taking up

C．making up

D．piling up

12.

A．give

B．discuss

C．display

D．understand

13.

A．bought

B．provided

C．brought

D．written

14.

A．redecorated

B．built

C．visited

D．made

15.

A．Unless

B．Until

C．If

D．Though

16.

A．terrible

B．wonderful

C．free

D．quiet

17.

A．after

B．before

C．for

D．when

18.

A．market

B．class

C．library

D．factory

19.

A．necessary

B．important

C．strange

D．difficult

20.

A．interested

B．encouraged

C．inspirit

D．surprise

4 . Robin was 12 years old when his mother sent him to me for his first piano lesson. I preferred that students begin at an earlier _________. I explained it to Robin that he was too old, but he said it had always been his mother’s _________ to hear him play the piano. So I took him as a student.

Although Robin tried very hard, he didn’t seem to have the basic sense of music. However, he _________ and at the end of each lesson he never forgot to say, “My mom’s going to hear me play someday.” But it seemed impossible, and I was _________ by his slow progress. One day, he _________ me that his mother was sick and he couldn’t come to my class any longer. I was glad that he stopped coming, since he was really a bad _________ for my teaching!

Several months later when I was preparing my students for a music show, Robin came to my home and said he had to _________ the show. I don’t know what led me to _________ him to do that. Maybe it was the _________ in his eyes or maybe it was something inside of me saying that it would be all right.

I was even more __________ when Robin announced that he had chosen one of the most difficult pieces of Mozart. I was not prepared for what happened next.

However, on the show his fingers danced __________ on the keys. He played so well that everyone __________ excitedly when he was leaving the stage. In excitement, I __________ up to stage to congratulate him.

“How could you do it?” I could not help asking him a few days later.

“Well, I kept practicing at home. My mom had cancer and just passed away the day I went to your __________ to ask for your permission to take part in the show. It was always her dream that she could hear me play on the stage. I wanted to make it __________.”

1.

A．level

B．convenience

C．age

D．moment

2.

A．task

B．plan

C．dream

D．hobby

3.

A．acted

B．continued

C．commanded

D．proved

4.

A．encouraged

B．disappointed

C．touched

D．guided

5.

A．told

B．showed

C．convinced

D．promised

6.

A．guideline

B．comment

C．arrangement

D．advertisement

7.

A．look forward to

B．sign up for

C．focus on

D．learn from

8.

A．warn

B．persuade

C．allow

D．force

9.

A．determination

B．happiness

C．reflections

D．anger

10.

A．excited

B．satisfied

C．relieved

D．surprised

11.

A．gracefully

B．awkwardly

C．slowly

D．quickly

12.

A．shook

B．clapped

C．shouted

D．laughed

13.

A．set

B．drove

C．woke

D．ran

14.

A．house

B．office

C．class

D．stage

15.

A．similar

B．important

C．special

D．popular

6 . On the morning of my Ph. D. qualifying exam. I rolled out of bed. showered, and next came the makeup. I brushed on a layer of foundation and drew thick black lines around my eyes — a _________ that signified (表达) the courage I wanted to show during my presentation. Then I looked in the mirror. I felt confident — _________ to answer questions that would be thrown at me. It's a way I found thanks to an unlikely _________: a famous singer.

I've always _________ with being confident. As an undergraduate, I felt extremely _________ whenever I tried to answer questions from professors. Later, in graduate school, I especially _________ giving presentations about my research. _________, I could find a solution that could build my confidence.

The _________ came during the month before my qualifying exam when I appreciated the singer's new song. As a fan, I noticed it sounded completely _________. She had switched from her usual dance-pop to soft rock and country. I was ____________ — why was she doing so? She was taking a huge professional ____________, but she was ____________in her music and herself.

Her confidence got me thinking: Could I do something similar before I stepped on stage? I ____________ the image I wanted my professional self to possess. I ____________ myself wearing professional clothing and appropriate makeup. To me, makeup wasn't a mask. It ____________ courage and confidence.

I first experimented with the____________during a practice presentation at home. It was a great ____________ . So I decided to give my new self a(n) ____________ at my qualifying exam. When I walked into the exam room, I was happy to ____________ I had newfound confidence. Sure, I was still nervous but 1 was able to answer questions without ____________.

1.

A．prayer

B．manner

C．look

D．greeting

2.

A．sorry

B．ready

C．kind

D．shy

3.

A．inspiration

B．meeting

C．coincidence

D．incident

4.

A．connected

B．combined

C．compared

D．struggled

5.

A．excited

B．nervous

C．angry

D．delighted

6.

A．feared

B．practised

C．forbade

D．admitted

7.

A．Legally

B．Immediately

C．Hopefully

D．Unfortunately

8.

A．reward

B．dilemma

C．outcome

D．breakthrough

9.

A．different

B．professional

C．famous

D．normal

10.

A．relieved

B．embarrassed

C．curious

D．cautious

11.

A．action

B．side

C．risk

D．seat

12.

A．confident

B．interested

C．honest

D．expert

13.

A．laughed at

B．gave up

C．commented on

D．thought about

14.

A．avoided

B．imagined

C．resisted

D．missed

15.

A．consumed

B．represented

C．covered

D．replaced

16.

A．principle

B．advice

C．hobby

D．idea

17.

A．start

B．challenge

C．future

D．effort

18.

A．meaning

B．end

C．go

D．alternative

19.

A．wish

B．discover

C．predict

D．promise

20.

A．judging

B．speaking

C．smiling

D．trembling

7 . Lots of children want to know what to give their mom for Mother’s Day. Of course, a handsome card is always great, but it can be ________ to come up with that extra something.

One day, my friend Ollie and I were discussing what gift is good enough for his ________ Abuela, who is pretty much like a mom to him. Right then, Abuela walked ________ with a tray (托盘) of food. “Sweetie, won’t you ________ us for lunch? We’re having sandwiches. It’s my speciality.” she said to me. “This is delicious!” I said after taking a ________ and then asked. “Speaking of delicious, what’s the most delicious food you’ve ever eaten?”

She thought for a minute. “Well, nothing could ________ the special strawberry ice cream my grandmother made when I was a girl on certain ________. ” We winked at each other, knowing that we had already ________ a Mother’s Day surprise his grandmother would love.

Over the next few days, Ollie and I asked everyone we knew if they ________ to have an old-fashioned ice-cream machine hanging around----but no ________. So my dad helped us search for some recipes online, and ________ we found a fun one that didn’t require any fancy __________, just a couple of empty coffee ________ in different sizes.

Mother’s Day finally arrived, we were pretty ________ to make the ice cream. Sitting outside, we all took turns rolling the can ________ we sang the Mother’s Day song for Abuela. We had to roll the can for half an hour, but it was so much ________! When the ice cream was finally ready, Abuela was the ________ to try it. “Mmm! The ice cream you made is even ________ better than I remember!” Abuela smiled from ear to ear.

For Mother’s Day, ________ time together while we made the ice cream was just as much fun as eating it. It is ________ with love that means more than gifts.

1.

A．easy

B．tough

C．different

D．funny

2.

A．father

B．mother

C．aunt

D．grandmother

3.

A．out

B．by

C．inside

D．around

4.

A．help

B．join

C．blame

D．ask

5.

A．bite

B．chance

C．look

D．breath

6.

A．compare

B．cover

C．beat

D．make

7.

A．conditions

B．occasions

C．spots

D．times

8.

A．learned

B．witnessed

C．revealed

D．found

9.

A．attempted

B．managed

C．pretended

D．happened

10.

A．time

B．luck

C．surprise

D．facility

11.

A．fortunately

B．specially

C．obviously

D．oppositely

12.

A．technique

B．material

C．equipment

D．ingredient

13.

A．cans

B．bottles

C．bags

D．boxes

14.

A．anxious

B．excited

C．exhausted

D．satisfied

15.

A．before

B．after

C．so

D．while

16.

A．interesting

B．complex

C．fun

D．simple

17.

A．first

B．second

C．next

D．last

18.

A．perhaps

B．almost

C．enough

D．far

19.

A．costing

B．spending

C．taking

D．making

20.

A．flavor

B．hope

C．company

D．joy

8 . On Wednesday I was at Planet Fitness when a girl _________ wearing a great-looking jacket. I had a desire for it, but didn’t say anything. Time _________ and I noticed she was about to leave. I was _________ to someone with the words? “Hey, there’s that girl in that _________ jacket. I’m going over and tell her how much I like it.”

I wasn’t sure how some _________ would react to my enthusiasm about her jacket, but it didn’t stop me. I _________ walked over and introduced myself and told her how much I loved her jacket. She _________and said her name was Amanda and she worked for this company that _________ the jacket. She went on to _________ me how everything was American made. She then __________ me a business card with her name on it.

Yesterday, I got __________ looking for ADDIX Gear—the name of the __________ I could see they __________ made sports clothing for teams. I sent a __________ and was told they didn’t sell retail (零售), but they were thinking of __________.

I wasn’t sure I would ever see Amanda again, __________ she was in the locker room when I got to Planet Fitness yesterday. I told her how I had gotten online etc.

Amanda __________ me that she had her phone number on the card. She told me to __________ her and she would have a jacket like hers made __________ for me. I asked how much it would cost and she said it will be __________ for me! WOW!

1.

A．came back

B．came in

C．went away

D．went out

2.

A．set

B．varied

C．passed

D．existed

3.

A．talking

B．introducing

C．admitting

D．applying

4.

A．red

B．colorful

C．poor

D．great

5.

A．stranger

B．customer

C．conductor

D．athlete

6.

A．slowly

B．quickly

C．hesitantly

D．proudly

7.

A．apologized

B．doubted

C．smiled

D．calmed

8.

A．transported

B．sold

C．printed

D．made

9.

A．teach

B．show

C．offer

D．tell

10.

A．handed

B．threw

C．pushed

D．rewarded

11.

A．upstairs

B．downtown

C．online

D．home

12.

A．publisher

B．company

C．shop

D．jacket

13.

A．actually

B．roughly

C．causally

D．probably

14.

A．postcard

B．message

C．reply

D．letter

15.

A．quitting

B．cutting

C．riding

D．starting

16.

A．and

B．so

C．but

D．as

17.

A．reminded

B．hoped

C．cheated

D．promised

18.

A．call

B．email

C．hug

D．cover

19.

A．even

B．ever

C．just

D．yet

20.

A．unfit

B．late

C．expensive

D．free

9 . Learning to Accept

I learned how to accept life as it is from my father. _______, he did not teach me acceptance when he was strong and healthy, but rather when he was   _________ and ill.

My father was _______ a strong man who loved being active, but a terrible illness _______ all that away. Now he can no longer walk, and he must sit quietly in a chair all day. Even talking is   _______. One night, I went to visit him with my sisters. We started _______ about life, and I told them about one of my_______. I said that we must very often give things up _______ we grow --- our youth, our beauty, our friends --- but it always _______ that after we give something up, we gain something new in its place. Then suddenly my father ________ up. He said, “But, Peter, I gave up ________! What did I gain?” I thought and thought, but I couldn’t think of anything to say. ________, he answered his own question: “I ________ the love of my family,” I looked at my sisters and saw tears in their eyes, along with hope and thankfulness.

I was also ________ by his words. After that, when I began to feel irritated (愤怒的) at someone, I ________ remember his words and become ________. If he could replace his great pain with a feeling of love for others, then I should be ________ to give up my small irritations. In this ________, I learned the power of acceptance from my father.

Sometimes I ________ what other things I could have learned from him if I had listened more carefully when I was a boy. For now, though, I am grateful for this one ________

1.

A．Afterwards

B．Therefore

C．However

D．Meanwhile

2.

A．tired

B．weak

C．poor

D．slow

3.

A．already

B．still

C．only

D．once

4.

A．took

B．threw

C．sent

D．put

5.

A．impossible

B．difficult

C．stressful

D．hopeless

6.

A．worrying

B．caring

C．talking

D．asking

7.

A．decisions

B．experiences

C．ambitions

D．beliefs

8.

A．as

B．since

C．before

D．till

9.

A．suggests

B．promises

C．seems

D．requires

10.

A．spoke

B．turned

C．summed

D．opened

11.

A．something

B．anything

C．nothing

D．everything

12.

A．Surprisingly

B．Immediately

C．Naturally

D．Certainly

13.

A．had

B．accepted

C．gained

D．enjoyed

14.

A．touched

B．astonished

C．attracted

D．warned

15.

A．should

B．could

C．would

D．might

16.

A．quiet

B．calm

C．relaxed

D．happy

17.

A．ready

B．likely

C．free

D．able

18.

A．case

B．form

C．method

D．way

19.

A．doubt

B．wonder

C．know

D．guess

20.

A．award

B．gift

C．lesson

D．word

10 . I believe even the smartest people have to work hard to achieve success. People make themselves into winners by their own _______.

Many years ago, I took the head _______ job at a school in Baxley, Georgia. It was a tradition for the school's old team to play against the _______ team at the end of spring practice. The old team had no coach, and they didn't even practice to _______ the game, but to my disappointment we were defeated. Thinking hard about it, I came to _______ that I had to change my _______ towards their ability and potential.

I started doing anything I could to help them build a little _______. Most importantly, I began to treat them like _______. That summer vacation, we met every day and _______     passing and kicking the football.

Six months after our defeat, we won our first game and our second, and continued to ________ . Finally, we faced the number one team in Georgia. I felt that it would be a ________ for us even if we lost the game. But my boys beat them , giving me the greatest ________ of my life!

       From the experience I learnt a lot about how the attitude of the leader can ________ the members of a team. Instead of seeing my boys as losers, I pushed and ________ them. I helped them to see themselves ________       , and they built themselves into winners. Winners are made, not born.1.

A．tests

B．luck

C．efforts

D．nature

2.

A．operating

B．editing

C．consulting

D．coaching

3.

A．new

B．excellent

C．strong

D．successful

4.

A．cheer for

B．prepare for

C．help with

D．finish with

5.

A．realize

B．claim

C．permit

D．demand

6.

A．decision

B．attitude

C．conclusion

D．intention

7.

A．pride

B．culture

C．fortune

D．relationship

8.

A．leaders

B．partners

C．winners

D．learners

9.

A．risked

B．missed

C．considered

D．practiced

10.

A．expand

B．improve

C．relax

D．defend

11.

A．shame

B．burden

C．victory

D．favor

12.

A．chance

B．joy

C．concern

D．offer

13.

A．surprise

B．relate

C．interest

D．affect

14.

A．encouraged

B．observed

C．protected

D．impressed

15.

A．naturally

B．individually

C．calmly

D．differently